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Sirsa dera too in Kashmir style land
row
WSN Bureau
 Chachian (Kangra): As Kashmir exploded
over illegal transfer of forest land to a Hindu shrine at the behest
of the Governor and due to blackmail by some Congress ministers, a
new equally explosive issue is morphing into a snowball. And at the
heart of it is the controversial notorious Sirsa dera of self-styled
Gurmeet Ram Raheem who is accused of rape and murder in various CBI
cases.
The Sirsa dera head had acquired hold of 175 kanals of prime land at
Chachian village of Palampur subdivision but after it came to light
that it was under the illegal possession of Sirsa Dera, district
magistrate Bharat Khera ordered the revenue authorities take back
conrtol of the property. The land estate was clearly in the name of
the Himachal Pradesh government in revenue records.
Now, it seems the Sirsa dera has swung some influence. Last week,
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh paid a surprise visit to the
controversial dera in Chachian village, near Palampur. It seemed to
be a hush-hush visit as it was not mentioned in his official tour
programme but word leaked out.
When the CM was going to Nagri village
on an official tour to inaugurate certain development schemes, a few
people standing outside the main gate of the dera stopped his
cavalcade. The CM came out of his car to meet the people who not
only greeted him with garlands but also invited him to visit the
dera.
Interestingly, Bharat Khera escorted the Chief Minister inside the
dera without briefing him that this land was 'benami' and he had
passed orders for taking possession of this land. Now it is being
said that it was only when the dera people requested the Chief
Minister to intervene so that the possession of this land remained
with them that Virbhadra Singh came to know that there was some
controversy over this land.
Meanwhile, the dera has challenged the orders of the district
magistrate and filed an appeal before divisional commissioner of
Kangra B.K. Aggarwal. The dera acquired the land illegally in the
names of some local people in violation of the Himachal Pradesh
Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1968.
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- Sirsa dera has illegally
acquired forest and agricultural land worth crores.
- The District Magistrate has
ordered it be taken back.
- Fraudulent sale deeds have
been caught.
- But Congress CM visits illegal
estate of dera.
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Some 20 sale deeds were prepared for the forest and agrcultural land
in the names of some local people and seven lease deeds in its own
name six years ago. Local employee of the dera Pritpal Singh said no
orders had been received with regard to the change of ownership or
to vacate the land in their possession.
He ruled out any possibility of handing over the land to the revenue
authorities, saying that they would go in for a legal battle to
retain it.
Meanwhile, the dera has established an office in the premises and is
carrying out some construction work and plantation on the land
unfazed by the turbulent situation in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu &
Kashmir and a few other parts of the country.
2
July, 2008
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